2000:
Disney's stage show Aida (featuring music by Elton John and lyrics by
Tim Rice) opens at the Palace Theatre in New York City. The tale of Aida, made
famous by Verdi's 1871 opera, tells of an enslaved African princess, Aida, and her doomed love for
the captain of the Egyptian guard, Radames, who is in turn desired by Aida's royal mistress,
Amneris. (The musical will go on to win four Tony Awards.)
2004:
Disney Publishing Worldwide announces that it is launching W.I.T.C.H., a new book series about five ordinary friends with an extraordinary secret - they each have the power to control a natural element. W.I.T.C.H. is the acronym of the first names of the 5 heroines.
1911:
Paula Winslowe, the voice of Bambi's Mother in the 1942 Disney
classic Bambi, is born.
1936:
Artist Ollie Johnston (future member of Walt's "Nine Old Men") becomes master animator Fred Moore's assistant at the Disney Studio.
Film star Mary Pickford tells a Boston Post reporter,
"There is only one Walt Disney ... He is the greatest producer the industry has ever turned out."
1950:
Bobby Driscoll is given a special award at the Academy Awards, for outstanding juvenile actor of 1949. (He had portrayed Jerry in Disney's 1949 So Dear to My Heart and Johnny in Disney's 1946 Song of the South.) The Best Song award goes to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (written by Frank Loesser for Neptune's Daughter) beating out "Lavender Blue" (written by Eliot Daniel & Larry Morey) from Disney's So Dear to My Heart.
1967:
Disney's 17-minute cartoon Scrooge McDuck and Money
is released. It is Uncle Scrooge's first major animated appearance.
1969:
At Disneyland, 100 Volkswagen Beetles parade down Main Street to celebrate Herbie Day (to promote The Love Bug film).
1975:
The Wonderful World of Disney airs the episode "Welcome To The World." Hosted by actress/singer Lucie Arnaz, the show celebrates the opening of the Magic Kingdom's new thrill ride Space Mountain!
1976:
Actress Keri Russell, a Mouseketeer on Disney Channel's All New Mickey
Mouse Club (from 1991 to 1993) is born in Fountain Valley, California. She also co-stars in Disney's 2008 comedy feature Bedtime Stories.
1977:
Josh Ackerman, who was a Mouseketeer for 7 seasons on the 1989
All New Mickey Mouse Club TV series, is born in St. Paul, Minnesota.
1987:
The Walt Disney Company signs a contract with the French national, regional and local governments, which promises Disney: favorable loan terms; that the rapid transit railway system will be extended to the theme park from Paris; that two interchanges will be built to link Euro Disneyland with a main highway; and that a special station for high-speed trains will be constructed at the park.
1996:
The Walt Disney Company and McDonald's Corporation sign a 10-year multi-national promotional alliance, set to begin in January 1997.
1998:
At the 1997 Academy Awards, Don Iwerks (co-founder of Iwerks Entertainment) is given the Gordon E. Sawyer Award for accomplishments in the field of motion picture science and technology. Iwerks, who in his early years worked for Disney, is the son of legendary Disney animator Ub Iwerks.
2001:
The Lizzie McGuire episode "Aaron Carter's Coming
to Town" airs for the first time on the Disney Channel.
2003:
An animated 3D Mickey Mouse presents the Best Animated Short Oscar (to The ChubbChubbs!) at the 75th Annual Academy Awards hosted by Steve Martin. The Disney distributed Spirited Away is awarded Best Animated Feature, beating out Lilo & Stitch and Treasure Planet.
The Main Street Electrical Parade gives its last performance at Disneyland Paris.
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1912:
Wernher Von Braun, one of the world's foremost
space scientist, is born in Wirsitz, Germany. Von
Braun, a friend of Walt Disney's, will help produce the
Disney "Man In Space" TV episodes in the 1950's.
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2007:
The new trailer for Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille premieres
during an episode of Cory in the House on Disney Channel.
Starting on this day, Lewis, Wilbur Robinson, and Bowler Hat Guy from
Meet the Robinsons meet and greet guests at the Disney-MGM Studios.
1999:
Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, a concept album that contains songs which will be used for the Broadway production of Aida, is released on Island Records. The
album features Elton John performing the songs along with such pop stars as Sting, LeAnn Rimes, Tina
Turner, Angelique Kidjo, Spice Girls, Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, Shania Twain, Lenny Kravitz, James
Taylor, and Lulu. (Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida: Original Broadway Cast Recording, a conventional original
cast recording of the Broadway production will be released in 2000.)
2005:
The 9th Marc Davis Lecture on Animation takes place in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in California. This year's event features two time Academy Award winning animation impressionist Frédéric Back.
Don Iwerks (the son of legendary Disney
animator Ub Iwerks) is the co-founder
of Iwerks Entertainment. He has been
associated with many accomplishments,
including the 360-degree CircleVision
camera and projection systems that he
worked on with his father. Don's
department designed and manufactured hundreds of unique film
projection systems
for Disney theme
parks such as
Disney's Star
Tours simulator.
MAR
2008:
Roger Federer, the world’s No. 1 ranked men’s professional tennis player, attempts to "pull the sword from the stone" in Fantasyland at Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Federer is visiting Disney World during Easter weekend before heading to Miami for the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open.
1957:
Actress Amanda Plummer - the voice of Clotho in Disney's animated Hercules - is born in New York City.
MARCH 23
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MARCH 23
THIS DAY MADE IN THE USA
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Iwerks wins Gordon E. Sawyer Award
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1973:
Disney's live-action Charley and the Angel, starring Fred MacMurray, Cloris
Leachman, Harry Morgan, and Kurt Russell, is released. During the Depression, a crotchety &
frugal shopkeeper (MacMurray) is visited by an angel (Morgan), who shows him what will happen if he doesn't
change the error of his ways. Nominated for a Golden Globe, it is MacMurray's 7th and final Disney film.
1951:
The Donald Duck cartoon Corn Chips is released. Directed by Jack Hannah, it features Chip 'n'
Dale - who have been persuaded by Donald to shovel his snowy sidewalk.
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